Burning World, Shenyang, China, 2005 by Jennifer Zhou

Jennifer Zhou | all galleries >> Galleries >> China on the Move > Burning World, Shenyang, China, 2005


13-FEB-2005

Burning World, Shenyang, China, 2005

I saw an astounding world through this fire, which was coming from a censer inside a temple. To me, this image represents a world of ignorance, a world of suffering, and a world of truth.

The ignorance comes from people hurting themselves without knowing it, like the man on the side who is smoking. The suffering and truth I see here never appears on people's faces , yet both burn in their their hearts, as hot as this intense fire. It is this pain, the feeling of burning, that is the moment of truth!

Canon EOS 10D ,Sigma 15-30mm f/3.5-4.5 EX DG ASP
1/200s f/7.1 at 25.0mm iso200 hide exif

Full EXIF Info
Date/Time	13-Feb-2005 11:09:53
Make	Canon
Model	EOS 10D
Flash Used	No
Focal Length	25 mm
Exposure Time	1/200 sec
Aperture	f/7.1
ISO Equivalent	200
Exposure Bias	-1.00
White Balance	(-1)
Metering Mode	matrix (5)
JPEG Quality	(6)
Exposure Program	shutter priority (2)
Focus Distance

other sizes: small medium original auto

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CharlieFox		29-Aug-2005 15:40
Great image! To all the comments about this photograph I'd like to add the incongruity that I find when I see theese people standing there together but alone at the same time and the fact that no matter how big the fire is they are still wearing heavy clothes. I tells me that this is not a comforting fire they still feel the chill. Explains pretty well the methaphor some of the other comments were about.

Shaun Chu		16-Jul-2005 02:32
A powerful image! I like how the large burst of flame in the center masks the identity of the person sitting down as if he is being unknowingly consumed. Where the back of his hood is, there appears to be a ghoulish face rising in the flame itself.

John		11-Jun-2005 23:20
All men in China smoke..it's too bad...smoking and drinking beer are a norm in China.

Kevin Chan		24-May-2005 05:33
Nice work

Guest		18-May-2005 09:07
This is a great picture too Jen, Perhaps the thing that I find braking a bit the atmosfere and the abstraction produced by the flames and the warm air deforming the background is that bit of wall in the lower part, though it is "pecata minuta". When i saw the picture the first thing I thought about is in Dante and his descriptions of Hell. Yes, you are right, perhaps or probably hell exists in all of us beeng alife and this deforms our souls, as the fire does to the image, Indiference, hate, pain, all of them are destructive feelengs I supose and one can imagine them behind this fire. It is a image full of content and philosophy.

Cecilia Lim		01-Apr-2005 22:52
This is such a powerful image Jennifer because it shocks us with impossibility and emotion! The people appear to be burning, but they are not fleeing - an impossible reality that is shocking and this makes us sit up and listen to your story. When we realize that the flames are not physically burning them, we come to understand these flames as a metaphor for the world of suffering and turmoil that surrounds their lives. We feel the heat and torture for these people when we see their unhappy faces. And what makes it even more sad is that each person is standing isolated in their own space to deal with their own suffering and choices in life. You've managed to pull together unrelated elements to tell such a powerful and cohesive story. That's an incredible vision. An outstandingly expressive image Jennifer! Well done!

Phil Douglis		24-Mar-2005 23:00
****This is one of the most shocking and astonishing images you have ever made, Jen. The incongruity of three people being consumed by fire and not really showing much interest in the process, is fascinating. It is as if they are all burning in hell, but don't know why the hell they are there! It's an amazing image because it is so fresh a concept. I love the way the black censer is in sharp focus as the first layer -- it functions as a wall between our world and your world of hell. The flames are softer than the censer, as are the people, which make them seem less real and more symbolic. You show us here that you can shock us -- something you rarely try to do. I am thrilled that you have made this picture, and I am sure you will get a lot of comments on it. It does everything you intended it to do.

Guest		24-Mar-2005 06:15
The fire certainly makes them appear as if being consumed. A strong metaphor. The fact that each of them is regarding something other that the suggested intense pain of fire is interesting. I would even say there is something almost heroic about them.

Benchang Tang		24-Mar-2005 05:12
I really like the filter made of the blaze from the senser, and it shows a different world. the girl's eyes usher my view to the smoking man. An expressive photo indeed!

Guest		23-Mar-2005 19:48
Hello again Jennifer. ! Nice picture and wonderful colours, very vivid. It is a pitty the man with the blue and white jacket takes out some of the attention from the main character of this picture. which as you say is the man smoking. Still a very creative shot and a very personal look. Please keep posting I really enjoy borrowing your eyes every time I visit.. !David

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